6 Hot Careers With Lots Of Jobs

6 Hot Careers

With an aging baby boomer population, it should come as no surprise that seven of the 20 fastest-growing occupations are healthcare related. In fact, three of every 10 new jobs created in the U.S. economy by 2014 will be in healthcare services. But even in the promising healthcare field, there are a few key careers that really stand out.

6 Hot Careers

With an aging baby boomer population, it should come as no surprise that seven of the 20 fastest-growing occupations are healthcare related. In fact, three of every 10 new jobs created in the U.S. economy by 2014 will be in healthcare services. But even in the promising healthcare field, there are a few key careers that really stand out.

1. Pharmacist

Required Education: A Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited college or school of pharmacy. This four-year programs requires two years of postsecondary study for admission, along with a good score on the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT).

3. Dental Hygienist

Required Education: A minimum of a two-year associate's degree or certificate from an accredited dental hygiene school as well as a state license. Bachelor's or master's degrees are required for positions involving research, teaching or clinical practice in public or school health programs.

Pay: Median hourly pay of $30.19

4. Dental Assistant

Job Duties: Work under the supervision of dentists to sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare and lay out instruments, obtain patients' dental records, provide assistance to dentists during treatment, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral healthcare.

Required Education: Minimum of a high school degree, and preferably a dental-assistant training program accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) through either a one-year certificate or a two-year associate's degree from a community or junior college.

Required Education: Varies by state - some states require only on-the-job training, while others require completion of coursework through community college, home healthcare agencies or vocational schools.

Pay: Median hourly earnings of $8.54

6. Medical Scientist

Job Duties: Study biological systems to understand the cause of diseases, develop treatments and design research tools for medical applications.

Required Education: A Ph.D. in biological science and typically postdoctoral work in a senior researcher's lab.